Arkansas Judge Strikes Down All Laws Banning Same Sex Marriage

Stephen B. Thornton—The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/APBrandon Armstrong, left, and Thomas Etheridge, right, both of Alexander, Ark. kiss and embrace after they were wed in the rotunda of the Pulaski County Courthouse in Little Rock, Ark. on May 12, 2014.

The Pulaski County Clerk tells TIME his office has already begun issuing licenses to same-sex couples in the wake of the judge's Thursday decision

The latest in an ongoing legal tug-of-war between the state and the state judiciary, an Arkansas judge ruled on Thursday that any state law banning same-sex marriage was void.

Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Chris Piazza’s ruling came a day after the Arkansas Supreme Court rejected the state’s request to stay Judge Piazza’s May 9 ruling allowing same-sex marriage, but cited a different state law on the books that prohibited clerks from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Piazza’s response was to strike down all laws that prevent same-sex couples from getting married.

Pulaski County Clerk Larry Crane told TIME that Thursday’s decision was broad enough to cover all legislation that could affect same-sex marriage. His office is already issuing licenses to same-sex couples, he said.

“We’ve already had one couple come in,” Crane told TIME. “We don’t have a line yet, but it’s been less than an hour.”